Nephilingis dodo
| Nephilingis dodo | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Araneidae |
| Genus: | Nephilingis |
| Species: | N. dodo |
| Binomial name | |
|
Nephilingis dodo (Kuntner & Agnarsson, 2011) |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Nephilengys dodo |
|
Nephilengys dodo
Nephilingis dodo is a araneid spider endemic to Mauritius. It was found to be separate from the related species Nephilingis borbonica in 2011.
The abdomen is strikingly white. Females reach a length of about 23mm.
Males only reach a length of 5 to 6 mm, with a yellow-brown sternum and a grey abdomen with white dots.
N. dodo is endemic to Mauritius, where it inhabits the native forests.
Named after the vernacular of the extinct flightless bird from Mauritius, the dodo (Raphus cucullatus). These two species once shared their habitat, the increasingly rare native forests in Mauritius. The specific name, a noun in apposition, is meant to increase awareness of the need for urgent conservation of the Mauritius biota.
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